Digest

November 8, 2006

OHIO

House fire kills 4 children; passer-by rescues 2 others

CLEVELAND M-7 Fire swept through a house early Tuesday, killing four children and injuring three other people, one who jumped from a second-story window and two boys who were pulled to safety by a passer-by, a fire official said. The passer-by, Nick Haviaras, saw the flames as he drove home about 3 a.m. At the house, he said, he heard cries: "'Help us, help us! We're in the basement!'."

Authorities said Haviaras, 43, broke open a glass block basement window and pulled two boys to safety. The woman had jumped out.

The three who escaped were identi8fied as Catherine Brownlee, 48; her son, 13; and a grandson, 14, a Fire Department spokesman Larry Graysaid. She hurt her leg and ankle, and the two boys suffered burns on about 30 percent of their bodies, authorities said.

The victims were tentatively identified as Daina Howell, 14, and Brownlee's grandsons, Tylor, 8; Corey, 3; and Austin, 1, Gray said. It was unknown whether Howell was related to the others.

ARIZONA

Wedding gowns stolen from dying-wishes group

SCOTTSDALE M-7 A trailer containing thousands of wedding gowns worth an estimated $3 million was stolen from a charity that grants the dying wishes of women with breast cancer.

The 40-foot trailer and a pickup truck owned by Making Memories were taken Sunday morning, authorities said.

"They've stolen the last wish and dream and hope of someone who is terminally ill," said Fran Hansen, co-founder of the group, which resells donated wedding gowns to raise money.

Nick DiLello, who runs the Phoenix Bridal Show, donated three dresses to the group after the trailer was stolen and is planning a charity wedding gown sale to make up for the theft.

"Gown donations are coming in quicker than we can find staging," DiLello said.

ILLINOIS

Jetliner's wings clip plane's tail on taxiway at O'Hare

CHICAGO M-7 A United Airlines plane's wing clipped the tail of another jetliner Tuesday morning as they taxied toward takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, aviation officials said. No injuries were reported.

One of the planes was turning left and the wing of the second plane, another United flight, hit the first plane's tail, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Tony Molinaro. Both flights were canceled, United said on its Web site.

In a similar accident last month at Newark Liberty International Airportoutside New York, one wing of a Lufthansa Boeing 747 bumped the wing of an empty Continental Airlines Boe8ing 757 that was awaiting a tow to a parking area, a Continental spokeswoman Mary Clark said. No injuries were reported.

ILLINOIS

Jury awards $387.4 million to Citgo for refinery fire

ROMEOVILLE M-7 A jury has awarded $387.4 million to Citgo Petroleum Corp. in a civil lawsuit stemming from a 2001 fire at a suburban Chicago refinery.

The fire occurred when a pipe fitting burst in a crude oil processing unit at a Citgo refinery in Romeoville.

Citgo filed the lawsuit against a Barberton, Ohio-based parts manufacturer in 2003 to recover repair costs and lost profits.

In awarding the damages, a Cook County jury determined that the Babcock & Wilcox Co. was 45 percent responsible for the accident.

Jurors also ruled that Unocal Corp., the previous owner of the refinery, was 40 percent responsible for the fire.

Citgo was assigned 15 percent of the blame.

TEXAS

Pair accused of plotting attack at their school

ROUND ROCK M-7 Two high school students have been charged with conspiracy to commit capital murder after authorities uncovered what they described as potentially deadly school attack plot.

The boys, whose names were not released, were arrested Thursday, Williamson County Sheriff's Department Detective John Foster said.

Foster would not discuss specifics of the McNeil High School students' alleged plan after announcing the arrests Monday.

He would not say how police and school officials learned of the plot but added that "we were very fortunate to discover this before it did happen."

"It jeopardized the lives of people there at the school: students and teachers," Foster said.

"There were no specific targets other than the school and its occupants," Foster added.